A few weeks ago, I wrote about the conflict between two like-minded arts groups—the Graffiti Defense Coalition and The World Is Fun—that both desire to curate mural projects here in Seattle, but whose collaboration on one such project fell apart, leaving them warring over rights to the name Stunning Seattle and a $49,251 city grant unclaimed. As I explained in the article:
Since November 13, 2012, lawyers have been called. Letters have been sent. People have called other people “dicks” in long, rambling e-mail chains. After GDC refused to sign the agreement, TWIF even argued that the name Stunning Seattle was part of TWIF’s brand—not GDC’s.
“We requested that they not use the name,” Faulkner says. “It was reached after the partnership was entered into. We don’t want them to move forward using anything we’ve done in the partnership.”
Of course, GDC disputes that claim. Several members confirmed that the name was created in one of the group’s winter basement meetings a year before any agreement with TWIF.
Today at 5:00p.m. is the deadline the city gave the Graffiti Defense Coalition to either change its project name, purchase intellectual property insurance to safeguard the city against a lawsuit, come to an agreement with TWIF, or forfeit their $49,000 mural grant.
In response, GDC leader Justin Hart says that they’ve asked the city to give them 30 days to seek a resolution with TWIF. Earlier this week, Hart wrote an open letter to TWIF, asking that the organization to state, in writing, that “no legal action will be taken against GDC or its agents or affiliates including the Department of Neighborhoods, or the City of Seattle moving forward.”
So far, he’s received no response from TWIF or the city.
